


Paper Planes

by NightmareChronicles



Category: Howl no Ugoku Shiro | Howl's Moving Castle
Genre: F/M, Gen, Howl's Moving Castle, Origami, howl - Freeform, sophie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 10:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1547456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightmareChronicles/pseuds/NightmareChronicles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is gonna be short, I have a headache and midterms tomorrow</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a busy day of shopping in the market for young Markl. Keeping hot water in the bath for the ever so pompous Howl wasn't the number one thing the fire-demon Calcifer wanted to be doing, but at least Calcifer has time before the wizard returns home covered in his sweaty "magical" filth. Sophie cooks lunch over his flame, throwing him a piece of meat and scraps of egg shell and breadcrumbs. She flips over the steaks and goes on to clean some of the newly found mess covering the dining table. It wasn't ever much of a 'castle' but Sophie enjoyed it too much and loves it dearly as Howl does. Sophie wanders back to keep their lunch from burning, there is a chime and Markl rushes into the house throwing a sack of food and supplies onto the newly cleansed table. Sophie sighs to herself and takes the pan from on top of Calcifer. She sets three plates and takes the sack from the tabletop, neatly placing it near the leg at the opposite end of the table. As if on cue Howl flamboyantly enters the room with the proudest and widest grin on his face.  
"Hello everybody, good day." He greets the group, "Calcifer, can you run some hot water for a bath?" He kindly requests making his way upstairs. 

"Howl, I cooked, it'll get cold and you should eat something." Sophie reminds him, concerned due to the fact he hasn't been home in a few days with nothing to eat.  
He smiles grateful for her concern.  
"Well thank you, dear Sophie, for the meal." He says still smiling deviously. Howl winks and flies back down the steps grabbing his plate and taking it with him to his bath. Sophie sighs again and Clacifer snickers, knowing that was the "Usual Howl". 

Markl finishes his plate and takes scraps that fell from Howl's portion and scarfs them down. Sophie leaves her plate and goes back to cleaning, "No one else is going to do it anyways." She mutters to herself aimlessly.  
Markl smirks, thinking he should help her, he eats her scraps of leftovers that she did not yet clean up, and "cleaned" it for her.  
Sophie opens up what looks like an over stuffed drawer of papers, she raises and questionable eyebrow and opens it. A bunch of different colored paper squares spill out flying to her feet and landing gracefully like feathers to the wooden floor. She gasps happily recognizing the small squares used for Origami like she used to do with her sister when she was younger. 

"Sophie, are you okay?" Asks Markl from the table, concerned whether or not something bad happened or not. 

"Yes, young Markl, I am fine. Would you like to learn something from my childhood?" She asks the young apprentice spinning on her heals to face him with a beaming smile.


	2. Dark Creatures

Howl takes his empty plate and walks down stairs. He looks at Sophie and Markl folding colorful paper squares into an abundance of paper creatures. He smiles and walks down placing his plate on top of a mini mountain of dishes. A slight flick of his hand and they clean themselves. He walks up behind Sophie placing his hands on her shoulders. Howl snickers, watching as she folds the paper gracefully with her nimble hands. Sophie turns her head and looks at him, he sticks her tongue out at Howl playfully and he sneaks a slight kiss. Sophie Rolls her eyes and goes back to folding the colorful papers. 

 

Howl walks to his chair in the background and watches them, he places his chin on his hand looking at his young apprentice and the lovely Sophie whom he had a secret deep admiration for. He smiles and he is at peace with himself and the world. Howl flicks his hand with ease and the paper creature come to life. The move around lively, birds and butterflies fly around with colorful wings, bears crawl around sniffing, elephants move slowly. Markl looks at Howl with surprise and awe at the magic his tutor has pulled. Sophie looks around the room, smiling brightly, it was the grandest smile Howl has ever gotten to experience. Howl loved that dear smile, Howl loved her. Then again, there was no one Howl ever hated, he looks at her with a love he had never had for anyone else. She was a light to the darkness that had consumed him. It hurts him, it hurts him knowing that she probably doesn’t love him the way he does. That she probably never could, she always had to clean up after him, and pull him out of his messes, she was pretty much babysitting him. He was a burden within her life. 

 

His thoughts turn dark, his wall of happiness crumbles. The paper creatures stop in mid motion and drop to the ground lifelessly. Sophie’s smile fades, slowly melting off her face, she looks back at Howl sadly, wondering. Markl looks at him knowingly, with understanding. He slumps upstairs without glancing at either of the two. He goes into his treasure filled room, which slowly turns into a cave-like cavern, the walls molding into a hole. Dark feathers emerge from Howl as he gives up from holding anything back. He curls himself into a ball, wings folding over his body, covering him defensively. Howl shuts down completely, and then his mind is gone from the world. 

 

Sophie goes to stand, but Markl shakes his head as if saying to leave him be. She sits back down a bit disheartened, she looks at the scattered paper corpses. She sighs to herself, wondering what could’ve triggered such a mood so suddenly. She has witnessed these scenes before, but she truly wonders what it is that’s killing him inside. She sighs again, a bit louder, she sinks into the chair and her eyes droop. She gets up and sullenly walk to her room, curling up in her bed, she closes her eyes and drifts to sleep.

 

Markl looks over at Calcifer sadly. Calcifer’s worrisome expression says a lot, Markl pulls over a chair and sits in front of Calcifer’s warm flame. 

 

“Cal, why must this happen so often?” Markl mutters. Calcifer sighs. 

 

“I dunno, young Markl…I dunno.” He says shrinking a little his light dimming slightly.    

 

The Castle slows due to Calcifer resting a little from all his work. Markl tosses some scraps from lunch that had gone uneaten to Cal to give him some extra strength. He does deserve it, without Cal, it would be a whole lot harder on Howl to make this castle run and go as it does. Howl has also been lacking in the magics on the castle because he is always out on his “expeditions” nowadays. 

 

Within a few hours, Markl drifts to sleep in the chair in front of Calcifer. Cal nuzzles himself beneath a chunk of wood and rests himself. It is late in the evening, and there is bustling coming from Howl’s room upstairs, no one is stirred from there sleep. 


	3. Sweet Sophie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is gonna be short, I have a headache and midterms tomorrow

Sophie wakes up, who is she kidding, she was never asleep in the first place. She had waited until Markl had gone off to sleep and Calcifer was resting for the evening. She peaks her head out from the doorway and tiptoes out of her room and up the stairs, turning to go to Howls' room. 

She slowly opens the door with a small creek. Black feathers as dark as a midnight sky rustle around the room in the chill of the evening breeze. Howl is curled up on his bed in the fetal position, his body pulsing up and down from the deep breathes he takes. She walks over and places a soft, loving hand on his cheek. He looks up into her eyes with a pained expression, he tries to force a smile for her. She knows how he hates when she sees him this way. But when he is this way, Sophie can't help but want to be there for him, to hold him until his pain seizes.

Sophie's eyes soften and she sits on the edge of his bed, she begins to trace circles with her thumb on the smooth skin of his cheek. He slowly starts to morph back into his human form, he takes his arm and wraps it around her waist. He looks her in the eye and he begins to look less sickly. With his mischievous grin, he brings her closer to him by pulling her by the waist so she lays down next to him. 

"Lay with me my sweet Sophie." He murmurs into a tuft of her hair thick gray hair, placing his palm gently on the small of her back. She curls into him, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. His skin is radiating warmth in the cold chambers that he slumbered in. 

"Hold me close, my honeyed Howl." She breathes out softly, kissing his jaw. He places a finger under her chin and lifts her head up so she is looking him in the eye. He kisses her nose and pulls her in closer, he intertwines their fingers and lay peacefully together. All is silent except for the breeze coming from outside. 

After moments pass, they both grow quite tired. Their eyes begin to droop, and they smile sleepily at each other, fighting to stay awake to cuddle for just a but longer. Sophie notices that Howl's heart has calmed down and his muscles are at ease. She is pleased and glad to know he is now fully relaxed. Knowing this, she can finally relax herself. In this moment, she does not care what triggered such a feeling, all that matters is that they have each other now, and everything will be okay. 

So with this she gives in to her sleepiness, and closes her eyes, retreating to her dreams and Howl's love. Her head rests on his shoulder, her arm draped over his chest. Howl leans his head to rest on hers and he drifts off into a peaceful slumber right by her side. Finally able to rest, they both fall asleep in each others' arms for a night of harmony. A first one they had in a while, and it felt natural for them, this feeling of complete bliss within the arms of the other. They found tranquility within each other, with their love and passion fro one another. This is truly a love like no other. 

Howl is Sophie's everything. 

And Sophie, is Howl's world.


End file.
